A Step Into the Unknown

The day of graduation had finally arrived. The campus, usually bustling with the chaos of daily student life, was now serene, draped in banners and flowers, with chairs set up in rows on the expansive lawn. Rio stood off to the side, adjusting his cap and gown, taking it all in. The future was now staring him in the face, a culmination of years of hard work, friendship, and battles fought in both the light and the shadows.

(Erica, walking up behind him): "You look deep in thought again."

(Rio, turning to her with a smile): "Just trying to soak it all in. It’s weird, isn’t it? We’ve been through so much, and now we’re just… graduating, like nothing ever happened."

(Erica, chuckling): "Nothing? I wouldn’t say that. But yeah, it’s surreal. And in a few hours, it’ll all be official."